The Death of Nefertari Cobra

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King Cobra stares at the Empty Throne in terror as Imu sits upon it, gasping that no one is ever supposed to sit there and calling Imu "the impossible ruler." Cobra says no individual should have the power to control the world. The Five Elders explain that Imu shall address two of the points being discussed, and that Cobra must answer a single question in return. Cobra coughs and asks, "Who are you...?" Imu's presence overturns the World Government's public myth of equal founders and an empty seat, revealing that the throne has a hidden sovereign after all.

Cobra says he has heard the name "Imu" before and that it could be a coincidence, but one of the First Twenty was also called that. Imu replies that such curiosity tilts on impertinence but will not be dignified with an answer. The ruler says the initial queries shall be addressed anyway: "D" is the moniker of their ancient enemy. Recently, the name has been appearing more frequently, though it is nothing but a faint echo, and those who carry the name no longer know its true meaning. Imu adds that this irritation endures because of Queen Lili's grave blunder 800 years ago, and the same can be said of the scholars investigating the so-called Void Century.

Imu explains that without Queen Lili's blunder, there would be no pirates chasing the Poneglyphs in pursuit of treasure, and those vexing relics would never have been scattered across the world. Cobra listens in shock as Imu says that the release of the Poneglyphs was the worst possible outcome for them. Imu wonders whether it was truly a mistake or actually part of a larger plan. The Five Elders begin to shift and prepare for violence, surrounding Cobra as the conversation turns deadly. The page links Lili's disappearance, the Poneglyphs, and the hidden history into a single forbidden truth.

Imu says the truth undoubtedly lies in the letter Lili left behind. Imu asks whether it was a deliberate choice to refer to her only as "Queen Lili of House Nefertari" and orders Cobra to divulge the full name written on her letter. Cobra realizes there is no chance he is leaving the room alive and accepts that the truth he has found is real. One of the Elders tells him there is no use telling lies, and another says that because Cobra saw the great Imu, his fate was decided the moment he entered. Cobra gathers himself, knowing that revealing Lili's full name will confirm the taboo that has doomed him.

Outside the throne chamber, Sabo senses that the atmosphere feels sinister. In the chamber, Cobra says the letter from Arabasta's ruler eight centuries ago was signed by Queen Nefertari: "D. Lili." Imu reacts instantly. Sabo bursts in with "Fire Fist!" and attacks the dark silhouettes around Cobra, while a note compares the moment to chess, where the king is checked by a knight while surrounded by his own pieces. Imu and the Elders retaliate with strange shadowy forms; one attack spears Cobra, and Sabo leaps into the middle of the danger. The page marks the moment Cobra's revelation of "D. Lili" triggers the murder attempt and Sabo's intervention.

Sabo stands alone against the monstrous silhouettes of Imu and the Five Elders. He had hoped to take them all out in one move, but realizes there was no way he could have known Hell was located at the very top of the world. Cobra, gravely wounded, recognizes him as Luffy's brother. Sabo asks if Cobra knows Luffy somehow. Cobra says their cause is more concerned with the monsters who sit above the kings and queens of the world, and asks why Sabo, a Revolutionary, still stepped in to save him. Sabo says Cobra sounds like Luffy and that Cobra once saved him too. When Cobra tells him to escape alone, Sabo refuses, saying he needs Cobra to deliver a message to Luffy-kun and Vivi.

Cobra tells Sabo to deliver his message. He says, "We share the moniker 'D.'!!" and explains that he finally understands the path Arabasta must follow. A memory shows Ace, Luffy, and Sabo as children discussing names: Ace asks whether Sabo wants a D in his name, and Sabo says who cares because a name is a name. In the present, Sabo pulls Cobra away with a swish while Cobra says both Luffy and Vivi have D in their names. Sabo questions whether that is just coincidence or something more, but the attack continues. Cobra's message links the Nefertari family to the same hidden initial carried by Luffy, Sabo's brother.

Sabo flees while carrying the dying Cobra, but Cobra stops him to finish the message. He says "The Poneglyphs..." and identifies Queen Nefertari D. Lili. Cobra recites her command: "Fly the flag that heralds the world's eventual dawn." He tells Sabo that he is counting on him, calling him Sabo-kun. Sabo cries out "King Cobra!!" as the enemy closes in. A shadowy attack engulfs Cobra, and his last message is left with Sabo: the Poneglyphs and the will of Nefertari D. Lili are connected to the future dawn of the world. Cobra sacrifices himself so Sabo can escape with that truth.

Sabo escapes from the chamber as Cobra shouts that he must live on. A hidden Wapol sees the horrifying truth from inside the wall: Cobra has been killed. Wapol panics, saying he never liked Cobra but cannot celebrate after witnessing something so terrifying. He realizes he has stumbled upon the biggest skeleton in the Government's closet and does not even want to know who Imu was. As the shadowy figures notice someone nearby, Wapol screams internally that they will end him if he is caught. The page shifts the danger from Sabo to Wapol, who has accidentally witnessed the assassination and the existence of the world's hidden ruler.

At the grand round table in the council chamber, officials note that King Cobra and King Wapol are not yet present. They say word has just arrived that the two will not attend and that the meeting should proceed without them. Some assume Cobra's impassioned speech drained him or that he may now be considering his job done since the dissolution of the Warlords has been approved. Meanwhile, Shirahoshi and her brothers prepare to wait at the Red Port and avoid the Celestial Dragons, while Vivi worries that she had hoped to say goodbye to Princess Shirahoshi and wonders where she went. The page shows the public political meeting continuing in ignorance while the real crisis unfolds elsewhere.

Vivi is tied up in a guest room in Pangaea Castle and angrily demands to know whose orders are being followed. She says she will tell the whole world about this and tells her captors to untie her. Cipher Pol Aigis Zero agents Kalifa and Jabra guard her. Jabra warns her not to be too forward and says she should play her cards closer to the vest if she wants a shot at being free. Kalifa says no one is going to help Vivi because once her disappearance is made known, she will probably live the rest of her life like a pet. Vivi remains defiant, but the page makes clear that CP0 has secretly detained her under orders from above.

Kalifa receives word that Shirahoshi is all right and that she apparently came out of the ordeal unscathed. Vivi is relieved, saying "Thank goodness." Kalifa explains that the people who assaulted the Celestial Dragon trying to kidnap the mermaid princess boldly proclaimed themselves members of the Straw Hat Fleet, stunning the guests in the courtyard. Meanwhile, at the Home of the Gods, Fujitora's actions helped the Revolutionary Army free the slaves, which obviously angered Ryokugyu. Vivi remarks that this year's Reverie is strange and says that if she looks like a pet, she may have to do something about it. The page connects the three simultaneous crises: Shirahoshi's rescue, the Straw Hat Grand Fleet's involvement, and the Revolutionary Army's success.

Wapol crashes through the wall in a panic, screaming, "I didn't see a thing!!" and "Spare me!!" He barrels through Pangaea Castle with rubble flying while Vivi watches in shock. Wapol shouts that this is his chance and that no one will take him alive, ordering people to move and get out of the way. Vivi recognizes him and cries, "Wapol?!" In the surrounding panels, Chaka and others realize Vivi is gone and wonder if Wapol was the king they saw. Wapol's queen calls for him and asks who the young lady with him is, while Vivi quickly understands that running with Wapol may be the only available escape. Wapol says he will run to the ends of the world if he has to, and Vivi goes with him, beginning their unlikely flight from Mary Geoise.

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